Topic: Full time or reserves

[tron]

I work in the field of civil engineering (9 yrs) and I have always been interested in the military.  I am trying to decide whether to apply for full time as a combat engineer or the reserves (Infantry only here) to see if this is the right decision for myself & family.  Any suggestions.

[RJG]

Try reserves, if you like it go full time...

[shaunlin41]

Bad move, If you join reserves and then decide to go reg you could be waiting well over a year at least to transfer and you would most likley have to redo any courses that you completed.  Go to cfrc and talk to them, go on the internet and absorb as much info as possible and if you are near a base talk to people there but realize that they will be trade bias.  And don‘t go into the military for the money so figure out your families needs as it seems that a civil engeneer would make a decent wage.  Most importantly figure out what you want because if you are unhappy than your family will be as well.

[recceguy]

We‘ve had lots of guys go Reg from Reserve and it didn‘t take them more than a few months. During this time, they stayed and paraded with the Regiment til the CT came through. As well, most were able to carry some of their qualifications with them. Most times what they won‘t grant are the PLQ and the Snr NCO crse, depending of course on how much Reserve time you have.

[Old Cent Hand]

Try the Reserves , and if you like it ( Military Life), by all means go Combat Engineer. You learn how to operate everything from a grader , to a bridge layer , and Badger . Plus you work with explosives. I am just scratching the surface, of what these people can do .We had 1 CER ( Combat Engineer Regiment) in Wainwright,I was impressed , great leadership at all levels, and the troops were highly motivated and well trained.
CHIMO!

[tron]

Thanks for the responses.  I have decided to go with the Reserves.  I have my test & interview scheduled for next week.

[kbowes]

Good for you Civiltech     Are you hoping to make BMQ this summer?

[tron]

I work in the field of civil engineering (9 yrs) and I have always been interested in the military.  I am trying to decide whether to apply for full time as a combat engineer or the reserves (Infantry only here) to see if this is the right decision for myself & family.  Any suggestions.

[GirlFiredUp]

If you have a full time job, I say keep it and go Reserves.  That‘s my situation at the moment. I have a good paying full time job that I‘m not ready to give up so I‘m heading into the army part time for now.  Just my opinion.

[Mat-V]

I agree with GirlFiredUP. Joining the regular forces is a commitement and theres no easy turning back after basic training.

Since you have a good job and especially since you have a family, you might want to try the reserve and see if it is indeed what you expected. A job with the regs could also put you far away from your family for a while.

[bossi]

Do you test drive a car before buying it?
(and, a career lasts longer than most cars ...)

Sure - go ahead and try the reserves first.

When I was in recruiting it was a heart-breaker when somebody would quit their civvie job, put all their belongings in storage, and off they‘d go ... only to return a little while later with their tail between their legs, embarassed to tell anybody that they‘d discovered the hard way that the Army wasn‘t their cup of tea ...

And, Infantry is one of the toughest military occupations - if you can hack it in the reserves, it will stand you in good stead no matter what occupation you choose in the Regular Force.